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ssassss' Jervfc « : The coin is ^ oinmon enough in the caap ;_ but rSXved Ms one from a young Frenchman atBoulahar ? He was a sergeant-major in one of the French regiments of the line , and was very near , tnaking ^ me a Sox to our friendship . I was smeerely attached to him , and so would you have been , my dear friend , had you known him . But I lost him at Inkerman , where he was shot through the heart—a wanner than which never beat . Now of Inkennan . Our division being on the extreme 01
left of the Eng lish lines , next to . the iflrencn , we were course the latest , ox nearly so , coming into action . Some of bur regiments , however , of which the 28 th was one , had been all night in the trenches , under General Temtis , and Aon * the trenches marched to Inkexman afr the firs * streak ; of daylight , where we stayed until eTOning ^ and though an eye-witness of the varying fortunes of the day , I can scarcely tell you what occurred . Ifalieve much a hidden Jig ht never before took place . Evert / manwot in tome degree hit own general , and . every general had tofiahthis own battle . It was apparently the Jight of a of
rabble , but of a rabble thathnew how to Jight . Wmgs ngiment * were . severed , companies were separated from mch other , but each wing and every company fought and chared'the ground in its own immediate neighbourhood . It wot a complete massacre . On the night after the slaughter , one party of our regiment buried 100 'men in ' a few hours , and . in a very small space of ground . The second night after the battle ire formed the covering party to a lot of Turks , who were making a fort on the heights of Inkennan . I never spent a more miserable night in my life . The wind blew so strongly that the captain , with his hand upon my shoulder , and speaking at the highest ' pitch of his voice , could not make me 'understand him . In addition to this , it rained so
violently that we could scarcely keep our eyes open to watch , though we were within 100 yards of the advanced pickets of the enemy . The only way to the battery which the Turks were constructing was commanded by the Russian guns , and their dead lay around ¦ vb , not only unburiedj- but stripped naked , and tfxposed to all the inclemency of the season . Oh ! it was s horrible sight to see their white bodies gleaming through ? the thick darkness . The following morning ^ re returned to camp , and to our great dismay found our tents prostrate . We lay all day crouching in nooks and corners , ' shivering with cold and-wet , and were sent' again to the trenches that same night , where many men died from the exposure . But-this is past , ¦ and many other such days and nights . Yet we sometimes get a really fine day , ~ such as one but rarely meets with in England even at midsummer . I think ,
how-• ver , that there is a move in contemplation . Regiments are moving up rapidly to reinforce us ; two regiments have joined our division within this fortnight , besides drafts from the depots . Should the assault take place , rumour has given the place of honour to the third division ; I may , therefore , before you receive this , be hors de combat , either rigid in death , maimed for life , or we may be still in suspense as we are now ; but whatever may happen , I am still your devoted friend . The mail . closes in-half 7 an-hour ,-so I-must—be-quicki- r-Giyemy love to my poor mother , and to all my old companions and acquaintances . Tell my mother she is all the tie I have in this world , and that should I be shot to-morrow , I will die blessing her name . But I will not die , / will win my commission yet . With best wishes to all , I remain , my dear friend , yours ever truly and sincerely , u m * " Colour-Sergeant , 28 th Regiment . " a dragoon's account of baxaklava . " I believe Captain Nolan was sent to reconnoitre the hills on each side . Whatever report he took to Lord Raglan we know not , but I expect he reported they ifere all clear , as he came back with an order to Lord Lucan for the Light ; Brigade to charge and take the field gups , and the ammunition and guns taken from the Turks . Lord Lucan asked if Lord Raglan was aware pf the enemy ' s position ? ' There is the order , and there is the enemy , ' Nolan is reported to have said . Lord Cardigan then got the order as given , and gave the order for the brigade to advance in two lines—first the 17 th , 18 th , and 18 th , second the 11 th and 4 th . Off we went tearing towards destruction . The round shot came first , killing many a poor fellow . One most wonderfully came past my shoulder , striking my rear-rank man , right
in the chest . Onward we went . I could see the shell bursting over our heads and hear the grape and canister hissing through us . The cross fire was murderous—a square of infantry and guns with grape and canister pelting through us and shelling from the opposite heights . But I felt or feared nothing—a sort of wildness came over . mo , and I seemed to care not where I wont or what I did . Onward stillf The first line had retired , the guns were silenced , and retiring behind a large horde of Cossacks ; they formed a front , but would not Sj * nd our charge , but gallopped through guns and every-* - " ?• -J- JT ° J 2 ** down the gunners and literally took the whole "fejphe Cossacks camo out by twos and threes , an < J keptJW * g awfty ftt yg „ . „ , „ tnoir long , p j ec 08 | annoy _ Vg up . ajBadfuUy . We looked anxiously round for a opport , when we perceived what we considered the 17 th Lancers * good distance in the rear of us . Hurrah , my , •* ¦ ¦ . ' J
toy *! ' sun * out the brave Colonel Doriglaa , * let ' s give S ^ notoer charge ; the 17 < hjnU be npthen ^ and WU take « un » home with us . ' * Come on , ladsJ' said Lord George Paget , bis gallant brother-in-law , Colonel of the 4 th Lights . I found myself as exerted as possible , sinirinff out , ' Come on , boys ! ' Anything is preferable to sitting quietly and being shot at . At last someone gave the alarm that it was a large body of Russian Lancers , formed up to cut off our retreat . ' There ' s no help for it , said Lord George Paget , ' we must retire , and cut our way through them as well as we can . ' We went threes about , and went calmly to the rear . They did not attempt to cross our front , but attacked our right flank and rearT I was pretty near the right flank , and , of course , retiring in the rear rank ; I had allowed my horse toflag a little , when one of the gentlemen came on to attack me with his lance at a slanting position , and was making a poke for my back ; I wheeled round in the saddle , Pfrned his lance , and gave him a second rear point to the le £ t of nis
his right shoulder , which I expect will spoil lancing for some time . I was quite chuckling to myself over this affair , when we came to the horrid cross fire again . I had not gone far through till I got a rap in the leg as if from a sledge hammer . I looked down and saw the blood gushing from a good-sized hole . ' Now then , old horse '—he had carried me well through the campaign—' save my life now ! ' Q . had seen all over the field four or five Cossacks spiking any poor fellow who was down . ) I kept the right spur at work , and galto bund
loped a mile or more when I began get and faint ; I saw dimly a tent chum , I hailed to lend a hand , he heard me and came gallopping , he stopped me the first thing , and gave me a good drink out of his water-bottle ; that revived me , and I just got to where the regiment was forming , and old Cardigan was sitting , with the tears almost in his eyes when he saw his smart brigade to cut up ; our ' fellows cheered him , when he said , ' You must not think , men , this is one of my madbrained actions ; I would have given almost anything rather than it had happened . '"
THE HOSPITAL AT SCUTARI . We append some extracts from a letter communicated to the Times by the Rev . Mr . Gleig . It is from the Rev . I . E . Sabin , in charge of the chapl ain ' s department . It will be very gratifying to the sick and wounded to learn that die . newspapers and books alluded to , which reach them so regularly through the War-office , are the personal gift of the Queen , according to a list of which her Majesty personally approves : — " Scutari , Dec . 27 .
'• ' My dear Mr . Gleig , —Your anxiety to hear of our welfare at the Scutari hospitals induces me to write to you again this post . ATwalk through our vast corridors now , crowded as they are in every part , fills me with lively satisfaction , for I see how much has been done , and how rapidly , for the welfare of our soldiers . One corridor alone contains 225 beds , everyone occupied , and the wards leading out of the same corridor contain 813 beds . The whole of this corridor has been repaved , and every ward had new floors and windows within the last month , and now it is occupied from end to end . Surgeries are built on the wide staircases , boilers for hot water are erected at intervals , stoves are kept constantly burning in each ward and down the corridor , which , to lessen the cold , is divided by wooden
partitions ; large tin baths are standing at the corners and entrances ready for use , and every man has a wooden bedstead and comfortable bed and bedding . Groups of men are sitting round the stoves reading , talking , and some few smoking , and altogether there is an air of comfort and enjoyment which I feared once never to see here . I have selected this one corridor to tell you of , because one month since it was unfit for use , and now is all that can be expected or desired . It has been rapidly completed under Mr . Gordon , an engineer officer ; and the Turks , under our Sappers , have worked well . It has been completed , too , just as it was most needed , for we have had a great increase of sick during the last ten days , and without this corridor should have been sorely pressed for room . Our numbers now amount to 4200 sick and
convalescents ; distributed in barrack hospitals , 2500 ; in general hospital , 1000 ; on the two hulks , 700 . Besides this , some 850 have been sent to Abydos . The medical staff seems now very efficient , and the number considerable—I should suppose nearly 100 ; and Dr . Mac Gregor , who has so ably and energetically worked the barrack hospital , is still at his post , and active as ever . .... The books wo hear of as being sent out from the religious societies come ' in very slowly , but , perhaps , it is not time for them yet . The books and papers from the Waroffice come regularly , and are much used . It is very pleasing to see the groups of men collected round the stoves to hear one man read , or a poor fellow with one arm gone steadying a paper or a book with the other , and I am glad to say that the most frequent book in their hands is the New Testament .
" Copies of the Queen ' s letter to Mrs . Herbert have been made and distributed , and also posted on the walls in various places . One of the clergy went into most of the wards and read the letter , ending with , the prayer ' God save the Queen ! ' to which the response was almost startling , sp hearty and vigorous from the lungs of sick and dying men came the sincere 'AmenI' .... You may well suppose from our vast number the severe cases are many . The deaths during the last few days have
been on an average 80 per diem , but thiaiB no excessive number ( sad as it is ) when the vast nui here are considered . But amid all these scenes of su ing and death , I cannot tell you what a load i » dff mind when I know that all are cared for and i neglected , and that we have such an efficient ban nurses , medical officers , and clergy . We see with the grievous untruths in . many letters , . especially o men dying in one night for want of wine , which since been declared untrue by the writer . But there others which amuse us not a little , as when we lean true history of a soldier killed and devoured by poor dogs , who have so severely felt the weight of I lish rule and stones , that they have not spirit to rai bark , unless they think their friends asleep in the < ¦
" * . INCIDENTS . An Address to Lord Raglan . —TheMelton M bray people have presented an address to I , Raglan , complimenting him on his distinguis services , and on the valour of his troops . I Raglan has replied—without expressing the 1 astonishment whatever . Thb Minik Rifle in Cibcassia . —We react i letter from Constantinople : — "A gentleman , who been here for some time , « nd who had come out the purpose of going into Circassia with a suppl ; Minie rifles ( which unfortunately were lost in Prince ) , having now received a fresh , though very numerous supply of this valuable arm , is al to proceed to that unexplored country , with object of encouraging its inhabitants and instrud them in the use of that most terrible weapon . "
" Help the Fatherless , " writing to the Tv aavs : — " Having a large manufactory in I < oa < where some hundreds of men and boys are employ I will take a son of one of our brave fellows m have fallen in the Crimea as an apprentice to a spectable trade , age from twelve to fifteen years , shall be taken care of and provided for , free of expenses , during the period of his apprenticeshi ] namely , five years . When such period is finish the average wages will be 5 s . per day . "
Mortar-Boat . —Messrs . Wigram , of North ) near Southampton , are constructing a mortar-b for the use ofthe English Government . The dim sions are 70 feet in length , 23 feet beam , and 9 1 4 inches depth , and she will be equal in burden t vessel of 170 tons . This boat will carry one 13-ii mortar slang in the centre of the deck on two piv < thereby preserving its elevation and disposition heavy seas . - The vessel will be ready for use April .
A Fire Brigade . —Government are about to spatch a portion of the London Fire Brigade to C stantinople , with the necessary apparatus , to proi the hospital at Scutari from fire . Sir Edmund Lyons . —Some tune ago the Strx boli was sent in towards the batteries of Sebasto with a flag of truce , in order to take back a Russ artillery officer in exchange for Lord Dunkel Sir Edmund Lyons took advantage of this opp tunity to send as a present a cheese to the Russ Admiral , with whom he had been acquainted former days . A few days afterwards the complim was returned . A fourteen-oared boat came out fr
the town and brought a deer as a present back to Admiral , together with a polite letter from the R sian Admiral , in which he said : — "The Russ Admiral remembers with pleasure the time of acquaintance with Sir Edmund , and regrets not have seen him for so long , except the other d when he came in rather close with the Agamemnc A Signal Mistake . —When Admiral Dundas the fleet at Kamiesh Bay , he signalled to Sir Edmi Lyons— " May success attend you ; " and to thi reply of " May happiness await you" was ordered
be hoisted . Unfortunately ? however wide the < ference . in real life , in the signal code hanging a happiness are very much alike , ; and in his haste reply , the signal officer hoisted the former instead the latter . The mistake was rectified , though i before it had been read by the whole fleet , and 1 proper reply run up . However , like the sigi which was forwarded the other day from Balakla to Lord Raglan , stating that " 12 hungry Turks h come in , " instead of 1200 Turks landed , the wh thing has only been laughed at as one of those stuj errors which will occur occasionally .
Books for the Hospital . —Mr . Arthur Smi who so kindly took charge of presents of books the hospital , thus writes to the Times : — "I ha just received a letter from Mrs . Bracebridge , Scutari , who , writing for Miss Nightingale , says tl the first freight of books has arrived at the hospit and been distributed among the inmates , to their gn satisfaction . She adds that one in three are capal of reading , and the others listen . I shall feel oblig by your inserting this little piece of information , many of the contributors who sent books for tl purpose forwarded them anonymously , and I ha no other menns of informing them , that their ki donations have been appreciated . Upwards of 22 , 0 volumes altogether woro collected and forwarded the Crimea , as well n& to Scutari . "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 20, 1855, page 52, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2074/page/4/
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